Monday, January 31, 2011

Betty White gave a much better performance last season than Edie Falco Im all for sentiment but if the Screen Actors Guild felt so strongly about Betty they could possibly have honored her lifetime achievements as they did with 94yearold.

You gotta adore it when an award show comes to town and you get to see some of your favorite celebrities all dressed up for the massive night. She accessorized with Fred Leighton onyx diamond platinum earrings and Manolo Blahnik heels. Edie was nominated for her role in Nurse Jackie in the.

Actress Edie Falco wore red strapless Valentino Couture gown to the 2011 Golden Globes. We are used to seeing actress Edie Falco in her scrubs and casual wear on the Showtime hit Nurse.
Source: http://gohotnews.com/2011/02/golden-globes-feh-carpet-edie-falco-go-fug-yourself-because.html?utm_source=gohotnews&utm_medium=twitter

Next, have fun with color! Play around with different color combinations and material combinations to come up with something uniquely yours.
Source: http://dailypostal.com/2011/01/31/milk-and-honey-shoes-customized-shoes-online/

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Chinese New Year Greetings: Beijing : Ogilvy & Mather China has launched a new iPhone app to usher in the Year of the Rabbit which begins on Chinese New Year’s Day, February 3.

Using the iPhone’s camera function, the free app allows users to add virtual fireworks displays, including a Rabbit shaped sparkler—complete with whizzing and booming sounds!—to any view that they choose. Personalized text greetings – in Chinese and/or English – can then be placed anywhere on the photo, in any color or size and in a variety of fonts.

The ‘embellished’ holiday photos can then be emailed to family and friends, be directly uploaded to users’ Weibo (China’s Twitter equivalent) accounts, be shared through their social networks or saved for future use.

Shenan Chuang, CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Greater China, said, “We created this app to combine two of the most popular activities of this festive season in China – the traditional custom of setting off colorful fireworks that dates back hundreds of years and the newest tradition of sending Chinese New Year greetings by text message. We hope many people will enjoy sharing this fun app with their family and friends in China and around the world.”

“We read that 18 billion Chinese New Year greeting text messages were sent out last year. So we thought this year we’d try to give people something far more innovative, engaging and fun to send to their friends and family for the holiday,” said Doug Schiff, ECD of OgilvyOne Beijing, who worked with Ogilvy Digital Lab Director, Sascha Engel, to develop the iPhone app.

Ogilvy China's "Fill the Sky" CNY Fireworks app is available now through the App Store and is compatible with iPhone and iPod touch (4th generation). Requires iOS 3.1.3 or later.
Source: http://www.mnilive.com/2011/01/om-launches-chinese-new-year-iphone-app/

NUS Career Fair 2011: GRADUATING students from the National University of Singapore (NUS) will have their pick of jobs at the university's annual career fair, with a record number of participating employers offering significantly more opportunities than in 2010.

The NUS Career Fair, which started on Thursday and ends on Friday, has attracted 145 employers. On offer in 2011, are 4,200 full-time jobs.

In 2010, the 120 employers who attended the event offered 3,500 full-time jobs.

The university has also tied up with Singapore Human Resources Institute (Shri), a professional body, to give students and alumni a better chance to land jobs.

The tie-up provides them access to internships and jobs with Shri's 3,000 members, a majority of whom are HR professionals and key decision-makers in their organisations.

Announcing the tie-up, NUS deputy president of academic affairs and provost Professor Tan Eng Chye said the partnership will also allow students to take part in Shri's inter-personal skills programmes.
Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_628902.html

HollyHoque: An extreme beauty to look at, this dress is sure to turn heads whatever ocassions you wear it on for toga dresses are all the rage now. Its flattering cut makes for the perfect investment. Do remember to match it with a pair of stockings of a colour you fancy and a lovely clutch.

Featuring unique one shoulder “sleeve”, ruches to conceal unsightly bulges and comes with a side zip for easy wearing. Made of lycra. Fully lined, not sheer.

Philea Resort & Spa is located in Ayer Keroh, a 20-minute drive from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Meleka. The resort offers free Wi-Fi and an outdoor pool.

The guestrooms at Philea Resort are located within a tropical forest. Rooms come with flat-screen TVs, minibar and private balconies.

Massage services are available at the hotel’s spa. Guests can work out at the fitness room or enjoy a game of golf at the 3 golf courses nearby.

Cravo Cravo Restaurant serves a variety of Asian and continental cuisines. Drinks are available at Bayu Cabana Bar, ChillOut Bar and Tropics Lounge.

Philea Resort & Spa is a 90-minute drive from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Hotel Description

Philea Resort & Spa – Malacca / Melaka Facilities
N.B. Please note that these are considered correct at the time of publishing, but may no longer be available. If any of the facilities are absolutely essential for you please check when booking. Please do not assume that all are included in the room rate.
Source: http://www.onlineusanews.com/malacca-philea-resort-spa-9915.php

Metro North Train Schedule: Due to inclement weather and snow, Mamaroneck and Rye Neck schools are closed today. The following schools are closed:

Central School

Chatsworth Avenue School

Mamaroneck Avenue School

Murray Avenue School

Hommocks Middle School

Mamaroneck High School

Rye Neck School District has also canceled school tomorrow, in light of the storm. The following schools are closed:

Rye High School pass

Rye Neck Middle School

F. E. Bellows Elementary School

Daniel Warren Elementary School

Commuters will also face delays, as the Hudson / Harlem line of Metro North is running on a Saturday schedule, with trains leaving every hour. All service is currently suspended on the New Haven line as workers clear the snow off the trails. We do not know when trains are running.

Bee-Line Paratransit bus and work with system-wide delays, according to the site.

Commuters are encouraged to register for text alerts or e-mail from Metro-North, to be informed of weather-related delays. You can also call customer service at 212-532-4900 Metro-North.
Source: http://www.thenewspk.com/2011/01/metro-north-train-schedule/

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Michele Bachmann Response: Washington (CNN) -- Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minnesota, responded to President Obama's State of the Union speech on Tuesday night from the National Press Club. Here is a transcript of Bachmann's speech.

Bachmann: Good evening. My name is Congresswoman Michele Bachmann from Minnesota's 6th District.

I want to thank the Tea Party Express and Tea Party HD for inviting me to speak this evening. I'm here at their request and not to compete with the official Republican remarks.

The Tea Party is a dynamic force for good in our national conversation, and it's an honor for me to speak with you.

Two years ago, when Barack Obama became our president, unemployment was 7.8%, and our national debt stood at what seemed like a staggering $10.6 trillion. We wondered whether the president would cut spending, reduce the deficit and implement real job-creating policies.

Unfortunately, the president's strategy for recovery was to spend a trillion dollars on a failed stimulus program, fueled by borrowed money. The White House promised us that all the spending would keep unemployment under 8%. Not only did that plan fail to deliver, but within three months, the national jobless rate spiked to 9.4%. It hasn't been lower for 20 straight months. While the government grew, we lost more than 2 million jobs.

Let me show you a chart. Here are unemployment rates over the past 10 years. In October of 2001, our national unemployment rate was at 5.3%. In 2008, it was at 6.6%. But just eight months after President Obama promised lower unemployment, that rate spiked to a staggering 10.1%. Today, unemployment is at 9.4% with about 400,000 new claims every week.

After the $700 billion bailout, the trillion-dollar stimulus, and the massive budget bill with over 9,000 earmarks, many of you implored Washington to please stop spending money that we don't have. But instead of cutting, we saw an unprecedented explosion of government spending and debt. It was unlike anything we've ever seen before in the history of the country.

Well, deficits were unacceptably high under President Bush, but they exploded under President Obama's direction, growing the national debt by an astounding $3.1 trillion.

Well, what did we buy? Instead of a leaner, smarter government, we bought a bureaucracy that now tells us which lightbulbs to buy and which may put 16,500 IRS agents in charge of policing President Obama's health care bill. Obamacare mandates and penalties may even force many job-creators to just stop offering health insurance altogether, unless, of course, yours is one of the more than 222 privileged companies, or unions, that's already received a government waiver under Obamacare.

In the end, unless we fully repeal Obamacare, a nation that currently enjoys the world's finest health care might be forced to rely on government-run coverage. That could have a devastating impact on our national debt for even generations to come.

For two years, President Obama made promises, just like the ones we heard him make this evening, yet still we have high unemployment, devalued housing prices, and the cost of gasoline is skyrocketing.

Well, here's a few suggestions for fixing our economy. The president could stop the EPA from imposing a job-destroying cap-and-trade system. The president could support a balanced budget amendment. The president could agree to an energy policy that increases American energy production and reduces our dependence on foreign oil.

The president could also turn back some of the 132 regulations put in place in the last two years, many of which will cost our economy $100 million or more. And the president should repeal Obamacare and support free-market solutions, like medical malpractice reform and allowing all Americans to buy any health care policy they like anywhere in the United States.

We need to start making things again in this country, and we can do that by reducing the tax and regulatory burden on job-creators. America will have the highest corporate tax rate in the world. Think about that. Look no further to see why jobs are moving overseas.

But thanks to you, there's reason for all of us to have hope that real spending cuts are coming, because last November, you went to the polls, and you voted out the big-spending politicians and you put in their place great men and women with a commitment to follow our Constitution and cut the size of government. I believe that we're in the very early days of a history-making turn in America.

Please know how important your calls, visits and letters are to the maintenance of our liberties. Because of you, Congress is responding, and we're just beginning to start to undo the damage that's been done the last few years, because we believe in lower taxes, we believe in a limited view of government and exceptionalism in America. And I believe that America is the indispensable nation of the world.

Just the creation of this nation itself was a miracle. Who can say that we won't see a miracle again? The perilous battle that was fought during World War II in the Pacific at Iwo Jima was a battle against all odds, and yet this picture immortalizes the victory of young GIs over the incursion against the Japanese. These six young men raising the flag came to symbolize all of America coming together to beat back a totalitarian aggressor.

Our current debt crisis we face today is different, but we still need all of us to pull together. But we can do this. That's our hope. We will push forward. We will proclaim liberty throughout the land. And we will do so because we, the people, will never give up on this great nation.

So God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.
Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/01/25/sotu.response.bachmann/

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

SINGAPORE : One of Singapore's most distinguished schools, Gan Eng Seng School, celebrated its 125th anniversary with a dinner at Fairmont Singapore on Sunday evening.

Gracing the event, Education Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen remarked that "it was perhaps the only school back then that provided a bilingual education. This proved a valuable asset to students who could benefit from the growth of the region while retaining a sense of rooted-ness to their community."

Established in 1885, the school's founder Mr Gan Eng Seng, wanted to give less well-off children the chance to get a good education.

Recognising the importance of the English language, he added it as another language of instruction to the Chinese students in the school. - CNA /ls
Source: http://www.yasni.co.uk/ext.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.channelnewsasia.com%2Fstories%2Fsingaporelocalnews%2Fview%2F1070081%2F1%2F.html&name=Gan+Kok+Eng&cat=filter&showads=1

State Of The Union Address 2011: If you weren't already looking forward to President Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday night at 9 p.m. ET, we have just the thing to get you excited. We present the 2011 State of the Union drinking game, because let's be honest: The only way to get through one of these things is with a beer in hand. That said, BLTWY does not endorse binge drinking, so we also offer an alternative -- the State of the Union workout routine. Replace "beer" with "do a sit-up" and you'll make first lady Michelle Obama's anti-obesity campaign proud. Either way -- you are guaranteed a memorable evening.
Bing even more:

*Every time you catch a Democrat standing up to applaud Obama while the Republican next to him remains seated, take two big gulps of your beer. One sip should be taken from the right side of your mouth, and one should be taken from the left. (Or if you are doing the workout, do a sit-up to the left and one to the right). Nothing like a little partisanship to get a good buzz going.
Source: http://bltwy.msnbc.msn.com/politics/the-2011-state-of-the-union-drinking-game-1672340.story

Jersey Shore Season 4: In a move with potentially far-reaching social-political implications, MTV on Tuesday said it had taken steps to ensure that the loud, brutish, drunken, sexually irresponsible behavior by the cast of "Jersey Shore" would cause no further damage on American soil during season four of the hit reality show.

That's because the network is sending the show to Italy.

"The cast is headed to the birthplace of the culture they love and live by," MTV's Chris Linn said in a statement. "We can't wait to see what erupts as a result."

The network said the cast -- Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, Paul "DJ Pauly D" Delvecchio, Jenni "JWOWW" Farley, Vinnie Guadagnino, Ronnie Magro, Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola -- will film the upcoming season in Italy this spring. Locations were not divulged. The season is expected to air later this year.

Not surprisingly, some Italians are not amused. A rep for the Italian-American service organization UNICO seethed, "It will not only hurt Italians but all Americans. "... Their outrageous, reprehensible behavior will make us look like buffoons and bimbos."

Indeed. It's enough to make one wonder if this development isn't a crafty diversionary tactic hatched by Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who's engulfed in a massive sex scandal fueled by lurid tales from underage prostitutes and showgirls. Those stories will seem like nursery rhymes once Italians get a load of the
"Jersey Shore" gang.

MICHAELS GETS HEART SURGERY: Officials at a Phoenix hospital said Tuesday that rocker/reality TV star Bret Michaels' surgery to close a hole in his heart was successful.

A surgical team at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center performed the procedure Monday. A hospital spokeswoman said Michaels, 47, is recuperating and remains in the hospital's intensive care unit for observation. Doctors discovered the hole in Michaels' heart in April when he was treated for a brain hemorrhage. The closure device inserted to close the hole in Michaels' heart will remain there permanently to stop abnormal blood flow between two chambers of his heart, which is thought to have caused the warning stoke he suffered.

The GOLDEN VOICE IS ON HIS OWN: Ted Williams, the homeless man who landed a job after a video depicting his vocal talents went viral on YouTube, has left a rehab facility in Texas against the advice of his doctors, according to a report on TMZ.com.

Williams, 53, had checked into the Origins Recovery Center less than two weeks ago for drug and alcohol problems after a talk with Dr. Phil McGraw. Williams had admitted to McGraw that he was still drinking, and McGraw called his decision to enter rehab "a big step in the right direction." No reason was given for his decision to leave the facility.

Williams' meeting with Dr. Phil was arranged after a domestic dispute with his daughter in Los Angeles.

BRISTOL'S NEW GUY: Bristol Palin confirmed in a radio interview that she has new boyfriend. During an appearance on Anchorage, Alaska, radio station KWHL's "The Bob & Mark Show," the former "Dancing With the Stars" finalist was asked if rumors she was dating a 20-year-old Alaska pipeline worker were true.

When Sarah Palin's eldest daughter played coy, the hosts suggested she answer by saying, "I'm seeing a guy and he's really great and Tripp loves him and we're having a really good time and we're really good friends."

Her reply? "Yeah, we can go with that," said Palin, who later bashed her ex, Levi Johnston, whom she claimed has seen their son Tripp "at the most, three times" for "like four hours" since she finished her run on "DWTS."

She also confirmed that she wants to change her son's last name from Johnston to Palin. "Yeah, I've asked Levi to do it many different times, just get it out of the way, just sign over his parental rights, but I don't know if he will or if he wants to right now."
Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_17197200?nclick_check=1

HRC ARMY, Mail delivery in Afghanistan sets new records each year and the holiday-keeping forces common to bring joy to the holiday service members from the United States.

“Since January 2010, teams of professional positions in Afghanistan have moved the largest amount of mail in the history of Afghanistan, over £ 54,517,638,” said Lt. Col. Donald Brown, head of the Postal Operations Division, 3rd HR-keeping Center (HRSC), first holding control Theater (TSC). “In 2009, 34.4 million pounds, and in 2008, 19.2 million pounds was delivered.”

Joint peacekeeping command in Afghanistan (JSC-A) also reported that the volume of holiday mail delivered exceeded the volume of mail delivered to all previous years since Operation Enduring Freedom began in 2001.

JSC-A is responsible for all peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan, including postal operations. The 184th Expeditionary keeping order, a Mississippi Army National Guard unit, assumed responsibility for JSC-A in October.

“The success we have this season with the rise mail is the culmination of the collaboration of many,” said Maj. Gen. Kenneth S. Dowd, commanding first TSC.

TSC first, based in Kuwait, provides support for all postal operations to Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq.

“The work [of workers] and support our families and friends back home ensured a positive outcome of this holiday season. There is nothing better than to get this package from home. We understand that and we worked hard to make sure our troops have the packages, “said Dowd.

Using a variety of means of transport, including fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and convoys, the mail was moved across Afghanistan with the help of many commands. The HRSC reports third mail was removed without delay or backlog despite the increased operational tempo.

The deployment of U.S. Central Command and Distribution Operations Center (CDDOC), based in Kuwait has also played an important role in the process of mail delivery. A CDDOC missions is the coordination of air assets available in theater for mission essential transport goods, one of which is the mail.

“The letter is the morale booster number two behind the brothel R & R. We all understand that because we all love to receive mail, “said Admiral Thomas C. cons Traaen, Commander, U.S. CDDOC.” The logistics team really rallied to ensure that all worlds received their mail as soon as possible. It was a great team effort. It was a pleasure to help bring the holiday spirit to our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. They deserve it. ”

Packages of his relatives in the United States to a military deployment in Afghanistan, ends his trip on average in less than 10 days, the meeting of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) standard 16 days for 12 days for packages and letters, said Brown. F

Rom the U.S., mail is flown directly to Bahrain and then transported to the respective platforms in Kandahar and Bagram, Afghanistan, where it is unloaded, sorted, and moved to its final destination.

“The total haul holidays in the United States traveled to Afghanistan from November 1 to December 24 was 12.6 million pounds. This is equivalent to cover every square inch of six football fields in the palletized mail with about 2,800 pounds per pallet. At the end of December, we believe we have received over 13.4 million pounds, “said Major William T. Smith, manager, JSC-A Human Resources Operations Division. “In 2009, the mail was delivered £ 6.4 million holiday.”

Two units of JSC-A, the 101st Brigade of maintaining, Fort Campbell, Ky., and the 43rd Brigade of maintaining, Fort Carson, CO, conduct peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan. For postal operations, they use corporate resources (HRC).

The 510th HRC, a unit of active duty at Fort Eustis, Va., assigned to the Brigade keeping 101e, runs the military post office at the Bagram airbase.

“The successful movement of over £ 9,000,000 of mail this month at Bagram was a huge effort of a” team of teams “assured everyone forward in the battle have received their mail and parcel of their relatives, “said Col. Michael P. Peterman, commander, 101st Brigade continued.” All staff Lifeliner gained a new understanding and appreciation for the work that our Post Office / UPS / DHL workers set for annual ensure that every American receives his mail in hometown USA. ”

The 328th HRC, a unit of Army Reserve of San Antonio, Texas, assigned to the 43rd Brigade of maintaining, operating the military post office at Kandahar Airfield.

“This is another demonstration of support from soldiers, who are the linemen and women’s football, so to speak. Their number is rarely called, but they are essential to the mission. I could not be more proud of everyone involved in mail delivery services to our members, and I commend them for work well done, “said Col. Edward Daly, commander, 43rd Brigade continued.” monumental efforts of these superstars really made a difference by bringing the spirit of Christmas in Afghanistan. ”

Other significant contributors to the success of missions mail delivery are the sections of mobility to the JSC-A and its subordinate brigades.

“The JSC-A and the capacity of its subordinate brigades to platforms available airlift game against the requirements of daily mail has contributed to the success of the missions of delivering mail. The use of contract support of fixed and rotary aircraft has been essential for successful delivery of ‘last mile’ of e-mail to the trenches, “said Smith.” Coordination between job requirements and the ingenuity of mobility was a key element of mail delivery in Afghanistan. ”

Due to the holiday rush, an appeal was sent volunteers to assist in unloading and sorting mail to the Bagram and Kandahar mail hubs. Soon, the service members of all branches of the military in the ranks from private to general officer were found working all hours to ensure their comrades received their packages on time.

“All along the line of the continental U.S. CENTCOM postal units, the 1st TSC based in Kuwait and the military and civilian CDDOC-made-mail flow this season successful. And in the true spirit of partnership in the coalition, the Royal Air Force mail delivery of U.S. holiday in Herat, “said Brig. Gen. Philip R. Fisher, Commander, JSC-A.

The UK Royal Air Force used one of their C-130 military aircraft to help the JSC-A to reach the milestone of delivering mail.

“The hard work and cooperation is a great success and all should be proud of their work. The efforts of those involved with the holiday mail service have been phenomenal. The postal units in Bagram and Kandahar, the 101st and 43rd brigades maintenance, and volunteers across Afghanistan worked diligently to ensure that all deployed in the Joint Operations Area-Afghanistan received their mail from the millions of pounds of packages and letters from loved ones to home, “Fisher said.

Mail delivery has a tremendous impact on the morale of service members. During the holidays and because of the amount of mail received, the military post offices in Afghanistan has increased the number of calls to messaging units to pick up mail.

“This is my first Christmas away from home. Although it is difficult to be away from home for the holidays, it’s great to be able to send and receive mail. The postal service allowed me to stay in touch with my family and friends at home. Mail call is easily one of the highlights of my day, “said U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Bradley Monahan, assigned to Fighter Attack Squadron 122, at Kandahar Airfield.
Source: http://usspost.com/hrc-army-27191/

She is Indonesian Chinese based in Singapore. A large number of people looking on google to confirm the news of the divorce Jamie Cauca. According to media sources, and her husband Jamie Cauca, Cauca Nurdi filed for divorce in February last year. Cauca and Cauca Nurdi Jamie have been married for 15 years, citing “unreasonable behavior” of separation.

Jamie Cauca, Cauca Nurdi assets include two houses in Sentosa Cove and Hong Kong for $ 14.6 million, 79.2 million in shares of a private company, your wine collection and his three cars – a Lamborghini , a Porsche and Ferrari. Jamie Cauca have been successfully applied for her former husband shortly Nurdi Cauca asset value of $ 93 million to be frozen, while seeking $ 450,000 per month in maintenance. Nurdi Cauca appealed against the decision, which will be heard before the Supreme Court in February.

Most Singaporeans are aware of ‘Home’, already a major theme sung by veteran singer Kit Chan. Come Total Defence Day, celebrated on February 15, the song will be a new version. This new version features the voices of 39 singers from the region, making it the first local song with the highest number of 39 singers collaborators.These span across different generations, from 1960 to 2000. Apart from Kit, the original singer of the song, other artists of local singers Stefanie Sun, JJ Lin, Tanya Chua, Olivia Ong, Maggie Teng, Rahimah Rahim and music producers Wu Jia Wei Ming and Song Lee. Kit is also the executive producer for the clip.
Source: http://www.hollywood91.com/01/jamie-chua-charlie-adam-liverpool-jamie-cauca.html

Former glamor model, Izabela Lukomska-Pyzalska became director of the club second Warta Poznan, she agrees, she will rule “with an iron fist.” Izabela takes over at a time when Warta Poznan FC is currently in danger of being relegated to the “first division”, which, in fact, is the second division under the Premiership Ektraklasa Poland.

Izabela Lukomska-Pyzalska, who worked as a model for men’s magazines like Playboy and CKM, “she said to restore the club to the Ektraklasa, he has not played games since the mid-1990s,

“I want the club to shine again. I think the team will play impressive and attract more fans in the stadium,” Lukomska-Pyzalska told the PAP news agency.

The new leader of the club has already hired a new coach, Boguslaw Baniak and sporting director Tadeusz Fajfer.

“I used to work in a construction company, which requires to power with an iron fist. I will ensure that there is order and discipline at the club, “promised the old model.
Source: http://www.thenewspk.com/2011/01/izabela-lukomska-pyzalska/

Oscar Nominations: Is Chris Nolan the new Steven Spielberg? Inception received eight nominations, including Best Picture, but Nolan failed to receive a directing nod this morning. That is arguably the biggest surprise in the otherwise predictable batch of Oscar nominations today. Even as someone who doesn't think it was the greatest genre entry of all-time, it IS a director's picture through-and-through. Of course, since we now have 10 Best Picture nominees and only five Best Director slots, there are arguably five other directors who might be a little annoyed this morning. I'm personally saddened (as much as one can be "saddened" by stuff like this) by the omission of Debra Granik for her direction of Best Picture nominee Winter's Bone. I know we all like the Coen Brothers, but True Grit is a pretty normal western. If True Grit is Oscar-worthy, then so was 3:10 to Yuma and Open Range. There will be much handwringing over Lisa Cholodenko not getting a Best Director nomination for The Kids Are All Right. But since I kinda hate the film, I'm not too personally annoyed by the omission. At least Mark Ruffalo pulled out a Best Supporting Actor nod out of the deal, since he was the best thing about the film (of course, Ruffalo is usually the best thing about every film he's in).

The actual 10 Best Picture nominees were pretty much predicted a couple months ago (eight of the ten films made either my Best of 2010 or Overrated of 2010 lists). You have two mainstream blockbusters (Inception and Toy Story 3), two mid-summer arthouse favorites (The Kids Are All Right and Winter's Bone), the one Oscar-bait critical darling that didn't quite catch fire at the box office (127 Hours), the presumptive front-runner (The Social Network), and the four uber-popular, audience-pleasing bits of late-year Oscar bait (Black Swan, The Fighter, The King's Speech and True Grit). It's a solid cross-section of nominees and proof that the 10-nominee gimmick is a pretty great idea. Not only did the best damn film of the year get in (Toy Story 3), but five of the 10 films were released prior to the official November/December Oscar-bait season. I'm still pulling for a Pixar upset, but right now the four front runners (the films with Picture, Director, Acting, and Editing nods) are The Social Network, Black Swan, The King's Speech, and The Fighter.

I could spend a column whining about what shouldn't have been nominated (everything about True Grit save Hailee Steinfield), but I will only make mention of the fact that I don't see a single Helena Bonham Carter, having spent the last two decades playing all manner of weird and unique characters, gets an Oscar nom for playing the cliched "supportive, nurturing, stand-by-your-man wife," a character with little to do and almost no dialogue. But let's move on to positive developments. Melissa Leo is now a two-time Oscar nominee, and I can't wait to be able to type the sentence: "Melissa Leo is an Oscar-winning actress." Christian Bale received his first (!) Oscar nomination for The Fighter, and he's still the front-runner (only Geoffrey Rush can beat him). Natalie Portman of course was nominated for Best Actress for Black Swan, and at this point she still seems unbeatable (barring a "career-award" upset from Annette Bening).

John Hawkes pulled off a somewhat surprising (and completely pleasing) Best Supporting Actor nomination for Winter's Bone. Best Actress nominee Jennifer Lawrence justifiably got most of the media buzz, but Hawkes' supporting turn truly dominates the third act of the terrific little drama. Jackie Weaver snagged a Best Supporting Actress nod for Animal Kingdom, which means the DVD I have from Blockbuster will probably be watched this evening. Javier Bardem got a somewhat surprising Best Actor nod for Best Foreign Film nominee Biutiful and Michelle Williams snuck in for Blue Valentine. Nicole Kidman got a deserved nod for Rabbit Hole, as it's nice to see people talking about her acting instead of her alleged botox treatments, and or the shocking fact that films like Rabbit Hole don't play like Happy Feet or Batman Forever.

The Illusionist made the cut in the Best Animated Film Category joining Toy Story 3 and How to Train Your Dragon while beating out more mainstream releases like Despicable Me and Tangled. I sincerely hope that the voting block doesn't engage in Pixar-backlash and deny Toy Story 3 the Best Animated Film win that it so clearly deserves, but that's certainly possible. There were few surprises in the various technical categories, although I'm somewhat happily surprised that Tron: Legacy missed out in the Best Visual category. Good on the terrific action picture Unstoppable getting a deserved Best Sound Editing nomination, and yay for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part I getting notice for its often-invisible Visual Effects and its moody Art Direction.

That's all I have for the moment. I'll offer my predictions for who or what will win in what categories when time permits, but that's enough ranting for now. Who do you think got robbed and/or undeservedly nominated? Which nominations made you happiest? Feel free to check in below.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-mendelson/oscar-nominations-mostly-good-news_b_813620.html

Monday, January 24, 2011

“Mondays are a drag” as RuPaul returns with a new set of queens to take on the challenges as they vie for the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar.

The two hour premiere of season three “RuPauls’s Drag Race” begins with a casting extravaganza and the premiere episode for season three of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”.

RuPaul begins the show with some audition tapes of girls who didn’t make the cut for season three’s top 12; whom Ru admires for their shameless promotion.

The first two queens to make the show are Manila Luzon whose boyfriend in Sahara Davenport and Carmen Carrera. Next RuPaul’s casting extravaganza takes a tour of some of the queen’s drag closets and the girls doing a tell all of their first time in drag.

The next two queens to make the show are Raja the supermodel whose day job is a make up artist. Besides working with top artists in Hollywood Raja calls American Idol’s Adam Lambert a friend. India Ferrah started out as a child at the age of 14.

Next up RuPaul showed off some of the auditions from men who wanted to be a part of her pit crew – the men who help Ru out on Drag Race.

The plus sized girls came out in force to audition for RuPaul this season and the two queens who did make the show are Mimi Imfurst and southern belle Stacy Layne Matthews.

Before introducing any more queens, RuPaul presented a package on queens and why they do drag. “A drag queen is a true artist,” said RuPaul before a video clip of the queens putting on makeup and getting dressed.

The next two queens to be a part of the show are Puerot Rican queen Yara Sofia and Atlanta’s Phoenix.

Santino and RuPaul held open auditions for season 3 of Drag Race on Hollywood Boulevard which produced an interesting collection of queens and Drag Race hopefuls. Venus D-Lite was one of the queens chosen from that audition; along with Delta Work.

Before introducing the last two season three queens, RuPaul showed a video package on lip syncing for your life. After auditioning three times for Drag Race Alexis Mateo and last, but not least, Ballroom dancer Mariah.

And the race is about to begin as the queens start their engines on the season premiere of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”…

As the queens walk into the workroom for the first time, the unthinkable happens when two queens are wearing the same outfits.

RuPaul enters and welcomes the queens – “the fiercest of the fierce”. This season the winner receives a life time supply of made up, be on the Absolut tour, and this time around the winner gets $75,000.

The pit crew brought out a big package and Shangela jumped out. RuPaul announced that Shangela would be joining the queens for season three of Drag Race.

The first challenge of the season was the girls were photographed by Mike Ruiz for a holiday card with a Christmas scene background while jumping on a giant trampoline. The winner of the Holiday Card Photo shoot was Raja.

For the big challenge the girls went shopping, in drag, at a thrift store where they had 10 minutes and $50, $75 for Raja, to purchase items for a spectacular holiday kultour outfit.

RuPaul herself kick off the runway segment of the show. Since the show is a holiday affair Santa made a visit in the form of Bruce Vilanch. Joining Ru and Santa at the judge’s table are Santino, Mike Ruiz, Michelle Visage, and special guest judge Vanessa Williams.

After all 13 queens have walked the runway and presented their holiday finest made from Christmas decorations and items purchased in a thrift store, RuPaul called for Mariah, Delta, Yara, India, Phoenix Stacy, and Alexis to step forward. She told them that they all stood out for not standing out but that they were safe. Ru added that with $75,000 on the line safe was a dirty word.

During the critiques, some of the queens made a lot of excuses which did not please RuPaul.

Mimi is safe, Manila is safe, Venus is in the bottom two, Raja is the queen who stole Christmas and the winner of the challenge for the week; she will also have immunity from elimination next week. Carmen is safe but Shangela will again face the bottom two the first week of competition again this season – it was the same spot where Shangela found herself eliminated last season.

Venus D-Lite and Shangela had to lip sync for their life to “The Right Stuff” by Vanessa Williams. During the lip sync for your life things got violent as the queens started pulling off pieces of clothing and pushing. After the song was over RuPaul said, “it made me feel uncomfortable.”

In the end RuPaul told Shangela to shante and stay; while Venus D-Lite had to sashay away and was the first person to be eliminated from the competition.
Source: http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/7988311-rupauls-drag-race-season-3-premiere

Orange County Choppers Foreclosure: WASHINGTON -- Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) is urging President Barack Obama to pledge a new round of foreclosure relief during his State of the Union address next week. In a letter to the president obtained by The Huffington Post, Merkley said the administration's current anti-foreclosure programs have proven woefully inadequate, and pushed for a more thorough program to keep families in their homes.

"A record one million families lost their home to foreclosure last year," Merkley wrote. "Next week, Mr. President, you will have the attention of the nation. I urge you to use this opportunity to renew efforts to tackle the national foreclosure crisis."

Merkley's call for presidential leadership on foreclosures comes as infighting among federal regulators appears to have stalled out key reforms to the bank divisions that work with troubled borrowers and process foreclosures.

The FDIC has been pushing to impose new requirements on the operations of those divisions, which are known as mortgage servicers. The agency has been engaged in heated negotiations with other regulators at the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). According to a source familiar with the negotiations, the Fed had initially opposed the plan, but agreed to support the rules after a few weeks of negotiations. The OCC, however, which is currently responsible for regulating the largest mortgage servicers -- Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Citigroup -- has resisted those rules. The OCC has never publicly sanctioned a mortgage servicer, despite widespread court findings of servicer fraud in the foreclosure process.

The Treasury Department, which had supported the new rules, had expected an agreement between agencies by Friday, Jan. 14, according to a spokesman. That anticipated agreement has not yet come to fruition.

But Treasury itself is engaged in a delicate dance on foreclosure policy -- defending the foreclosure prevention program criticized by Merkley, even as it urges sweeping reform of the bank divisions that participate in that program.

"The goal of the [Home Affordable Modification Program] was to prevent three to four million foreclosures," Merkley wrote, "but to date, fewer than 600,000 homowners have been approved."

Merkley is a persistent advocate for financial reform, and co-authored a key provision of last year's Wall Street overhaul legislation known as the Volcker Rule, which bars banks from speculating with taxpayer money.

At a Wednesday meeting of the Mortgage Bankers Association, Cindy Gertz, Treasury's Director of Operations for HAMP, praised the servicers involved in the Treasury plan, noting that they had ramped up staffing in order to deal with the foreclosure flood. Treasury spokeswoman Andrea Risotto told HuffPost that Gertz's praise for servicers was restricted to HAMP, and not to any other servicer activities. But servicer abuses within HAMP have been widely documented, with borrowers frequently making good on loan modification arrangements only to be foreclosed on.

Risotto noted that Treasury has a "compliance agent" that inspects servicers once a month to make sure banks are implementing the program correctly. Nevertheless, servicer employees have admitted to fraudulently robo-signing hundreds of foreclosure documents a day as a matter of ordinary procedure. Treasury has never sanctioned a servicer for violating HAMP rules, and maintains that it has no authority to do so, because the program is voluntary for banks.

But as Treasury defends servicers with one hand, it is also demanding fundamental reform of the servicer industry with the other. On Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner called for an overhaul of the way servicers are paid, arguing that the status quo is a "broken" system.

Regulatory agencies are debating whether to include standards for servicer conduct in new "skin-in-the-game" regulations for the mortgage bond market. The Wall Street overhaul legislation contains a provision requiring banks to retain at least five percent of the default risk whenever they sell mortgages off to investors. But there's a key exception to the rule: for standardized, top-quality loans, banks will not have to retain any of the risk. The FDIC hopes that by including mortgage servicing rules in the definition of a standardized, top-quality mortgage, they can create a new gold standard for mortgage lending that is immune from current abuses.

But these new regulations would only reform the way that servicers operate with regard to new mortgages. They will not help the millions of borrowers already trapped in unaffordable loans, nor will they provide a way to manage the widening gyre of fraud allegations and other improprieties that pose massive potential losses at the nation's too-big-to-fail banks.

In a speech Wednesday, FDIC Chair Sheila Bair warned, "Chaos in mortgage servicing and foreclosure is introducing a dangerous new uncertainty into this fragile market." Bair suggested creating a foreclosure disaster fund akin to the BP oil spill fund that would compensate wronged homeowners and investors, while capping liabilities for big banks.

Merkley wants to find a solution that deals with homeowners already facing foreclosure (and bank fraud). He's pushing for a six-point program to overhaul the current foreclosure system, including new standards for servicer conduct and new legal mechanisms to provide debt relief to deserving families.

Central to the program is a reform of the bankruptcy code, dubbed by Merkley as "lifeline bankruptcy reform." Mortgages are currently excluded from the bankruptcy process, so even if borrowers declare bankruptcy -- a process that is difficult to qualify for and comes with serious financial penalties -- they cannot get debt relief on their mortgage. By making mortgages subject to renegotiation in bankruptcy under the supervision of a judge, Merkley hopes to establish a process that would allow borrowers to remain in their homes without simply granting a get-out-of-debt free card to everyone whose home value has declined since the collapse of the housing bubble.

"This makes much more sense than paying for modifications," economist Dean Baker, co-Director of the Center for Economic Policy and Research, told HuffPost. Under HAMP, the Treasury pays servicers $1,000 to implement each loan modification, plus an additional $1,000 for every year that borrowers keep paying on the modified loan.

A similar program for farm loans was adopted during the mid-1980s and helped thousands of family farms avoid foreclosure, and a recent IMF report suggested bankruptcy reform as an effective solution to the U.S. mortgage mess. The same report found that the high rate of foreclosure may be responsible for between 1 percent and 1.25 percent of the U.S. unemployment rate, currently at 9.4 percent.

Mortgage bankruptcy reform was endorsed by then-Sen. Barack Obama during his presidential campaign, but died in the Senate in Spring 2009 amid weak backing from President Obama. Senate Republicans, who pushed for bankruptcy to be the appropriate way to deal with faltering megabanks, did not believe that consumers should receive the same treatment. Several bank-friendly Democrats also opposed the bankruptcy overhaul, prompting Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) to fume that banks "frankly own the place," referring to Congress.

Merkley also calls for an end to the "dual-track" system, in which mortgage servicers begin the foreclosure process even as they negotiate loan modifications with troubled borrowers. The system allows banks to foreclose as quickly as possible if the modification falls through, but also leads to many unnecessary foreclosures as banks improperly continue with foreclosures on successful modifications. Merkley would also require servicers to establish a single individual to contact borrowers, preventing paperwork mix-ups and other bank confusion which lead to improper foreclosures, and establish an independent party to review whether banks have followed the rules on foreclosures.

OCC policy already bans the dual-track system unless the process is required by mortgage bond agreements, but the OCC is yet to enforce that ban with any sanction against banks that violate it.

The potential impact of other elements in Merkley's plan is less clear. He would implement a "short-refinance" plan, which would allow homeowners who owe more on their loan than their house is worth to refinance into a new loan at the current value of their home. Government agencies would then pay the existing bank to expunge the remaining debt levels. But Baker was skeptical that such a program would be workable. With home prices down dramatically nationwide from their bubble-level peaks, even outright housing speculators will be sure to seek relief, triggering a government payout to the very banks who caused the problem by lending recklessly in the midst of a bubble. "There is not going to be any plausible means test that you can put in place that will prevent almost anyone in this situation from taking advantage of the opportunity," Baker said.

Merkley would also provide a $5,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers in an effort to boost home sales. But Baker said such an arrangement is unlikely to be an efficient mechanism to lift the struggling housing market.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/20/key-senator-urges-obama-t_n_811475.html

A total of 1,728 standard flats will be offered, comprising 180 studio apartments, 192 units of two-room, 252 units of three-room, 828 units of four-room and 276 units of five-room flats.

95 per cent of the flat supply, excluding Studio Apartments, will be set aside for First-Timer households.

The price of flats ranges from S$83,000(for a studio apartment) to S$353,000.

HDB said its new flats are priced with a generous subsidy below their market value.

It added that the market value, as determined by professional valuers, takes into account the prices of comparable resale flats in the area, adjusted for factors such as location, flat attributes, design, availability of flats for occupation and prevailing market conditions.

In addition, eligible first-timers buying two-room and bigger new flats and earning not more than S$5,000 per month can also apply for the Additional CPF Housing Grant of up to S$40,000. The AHG can be used to offset the initial down-payment.

Applications for the new flats can be submitted online from January 25to February 7.

HDB said in the first six months of 2011, flat buyers can look forward to about 11,000 new BTO flats.

The next BTO launch in February 2011 will offer about 1,600 flats in Bukit Panjang and Sengkang.
Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/1106735/1/.html

Lil Wayne Tour Dates 2011: After being released from jail nearly three months ago, Lil Wayne is ready to start touring again. On Monday, Jan. 24, Lil Wayne announced his "I Am Music II" spring tour, consisting of 24 dates all across North America. So who will be opening for the rap superstar?

Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross and Travis Barker, who will perform a DJ/ drummer set with Mixmaster Mike, are set to join Weezy. This tour is a sequel to Wayne's 2008-2009 "I Am Music" tour. The first tour attracted over 800,000 fans and made over $40 million dollars.

The tour kicks off on Mar. 18 in Buffalo, New York, and wraps in style with a headlining set at Bamboozle in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on on May 1.

‘Furciferous’ was Bill O’Reilly’s ”Word of the Day” that left heads scratching after his show tonight. Just what does it mean?

According to wordnik.com, the word, as it’s used here, is defined as meaning “rascally; scoundrelly; villainous”. On Bill O’Reilly.com it’s listed as meaning: “Scandalous, dishonorable, contemptible”. Answers.com says the pronunciation is: Fur·cif·er·ous.

O’Reilly, on his Fox News show, The O’Reilly Factor, wraps up his show with instructions on how to email him. He finishes by asking writers to not be… and provides a word. It’s usually along the lines of not being too verbose in the emails, or in this case, ”scandalous”, “dishonorable”, or “contemptible”.

Some of Bill O’Reilly’s (now) well known Words (with definitions from his site) include:

OCC Foreclosure by Key Senator Urges Obama: Key Senator Urges Obama To Push Foreclosure Relief In State Of The Union. Sen. Jeff Merkley is urging President Barack Obama to pledge a new round of foreclosure relief during his State of the Union address next week. In a letter to the president obtained by The Huffington Post, Merkley said the administration's current anti-foreclosure programs have proven woefully inadequate, and pushed for a more thorough program to keep families in their homes.

"A record one million families lost their home to foreclosure last year," Merkley wrote. "Next week, Mr. President, you will have the attention of the nation. I urge you to use this opportunity to renew efforts to tackle the national foreclosure crisis."

Merkley's call for presidential leadership on foreclosures comes as infighting among federal regulators appears to have stalled out key reforms to the bank divisions that work with troubled borrowers and process foreclosures.

The FDIC has been pushing to impose new requirements on the operations of those divisions, which are known as mortgage servicers. The agency has been engaged in heated negotiations with other regulators at the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). According to a source familiar with the negotiations, the Fed had initially opposed the plan, but agreed to support the rules after a few weeks of negotiations. The OCC, however, which is currently responsible for regulating the largest mortgage servicers -- Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Citigroup -- has resisted those rules. The OCC has never publicly sanctioned a mortgage servicer, despite widespread court findings of servicer fraud in the foreclosure process.

The Treasury Department, which had supported the new rules, had expected an agreement between agencies by Friday, Jan. 14, according to a spokesman. That anticipated agreement has not yet come to fruition.

But Treasury itself is engaged in a delicate dance on foreclosure policy -- defending the foreclosure prevention program criticized by Merkley, even as it urges sweeping reform of the bank divisions that participate in that program.

"The goal of the [Home Affordable Modification Program] was to prevent three to four million foreclosures," Merkley wrote, "but to date, fewer than 600,000 homowners have been approved."
Source: http://worldnewsfred.blogspot.com/2011/01/occ-foreclosure-by-key-senator-urges.html

Mark Sanchez Picks Nose: Did Mark Sanchez learn nothing in kindergarten? I don't care how hot he is, I'll never been able to look at him without a little disgust after a move he made this past weekend. It was during Sunday's game between the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers, when the Jets quarterback was caught on film with his fingers in nose. Unfortunate, but excusable. There's no excuse for what he did next, however.

After he picked his nose, HE WIPED IT ON HIS TEAMMATE! Yes, right from his nose to the coat of his fellow teammate, Mark Brunell. He was caught red-handed ... or green-fingered, as the case may be. Check it out for yourself:

I don't think Brunell even noticed at the time, but I sure hope he's had his coat washed since. That's just nasty.

I know football isn't all clean and pristine. The guys get dirty and sweaty, which is hot. This move, however, is just cringe-inducing, not to mention germ producing! Can you imagine where else he's wiped his boogers? In his house? In his car? On his friends and family?

And what a horrible example for all the little boys out there watching. Trying to break young kids of the nasty nose picking habit is hard enough, without football heroes reinforcing the behavior. Sheesh.

While I guess his team lost anyway, it seems like there should be some kind of punishment for such behavior. Perhaps a Kleenex thrown for gross behavior?
Source: http://thestir.cafemom.com/entertainment/115349/mark_sanchez_picks_nose_wipes

It's been nearly a year since Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. told an audience that he was "very troubled" by the "setting, circumstance and decorum" of the State of the Union speech where justices are forced to sit expressionless while Congress, "literally surrounds them" at times cheering and hollering.

Roberts was reacting to President Obama's last State of the Union address where the President criticized Citizen's United, the Supreme Court decision that invalidated decades-old federal legislation restricting corporate expenditures for electoral advocacy.

Six of the nine justices of the Supreme Court were sitting in the audience, and the cameras captured Justice Samuel Alito, shaking his head in disagreement when Obama said, "With all due deference to the separation of powers, last week the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates."

Democratic senators sitting close to the justices stood up and cheered the president's words.

The justices rarely applaud the event, fearful that it might send the message that they are taking sides on an issue which might come before them.

Several weeks later Roberts commented on the experience and said, "to the extent the State of the Union has degenerated into a political pep rally, I'm not sure why we are there."

This year's State of the Union might be a very different atmosphere because several members of Congress have stated their intention to sit next to a member of the opposing party in order to send a message of comity to the American public.

A press spokeswoman for the Court said that Justice Samuel Alito will miss this year's speech due to a commitment in Hawaii but she had no information on the plans of the other justices. It will be Justice Elena Kagan's first State of the Union.

Court Divided on Attending State of the Union Speech

Justice Clarence Thomas will undoubtedly choose not to be there. Last year he told an audience at the Stetson University college of Law "There's a lot that you don't hear on TV" he said, " — the catcalls, the whooping and hollering and under-the-breath comments."

Retired Justice John Paul Stevens agreed with Thomas. "I went to a few of them when I was first on the Court, but I stopped." Stevens told Jeffrey Toobin of The New Yorker last year. "They are political occasions, where I don't think our attendance is required."

But Justice Stephen Breyer told George Stephanopoulos in September that he will attend, even if he is the only Justice to do so. "I think the reason that I want to go and I think that the reason we should be there is because, particularly today, where for better or for worse, people get lots of their information visually. It shows in that room, this is your federal government,'" Breyer said. "The President is there. The cabinet is there. The Congress is there. The Joint Chiefs are there. And I'd like some of the judges to be there, too, because the judges have a role in this government."
Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/State_of_the_Union/state-union-2011-supreme-court-justices-divided-attending/story?id=12748996

What Happened To Oprah' s Baby : Last night Oprah Winfrey sat down with CNN's newest talk show host Piers Morgan to kick off his new show and chat about her OWN Network, her career in television and also discuss some personal tragedies like the loss of her child.

Get the deets inside plus find out how some of our YBF celebs give back to the community when TheYBF.com hits the red carpet at "BET Honors 2011."

Oprah Winfrey sat down for a deeply personal interview with CNN's Piers Morgan and one of the most shocking topics on the table was the child she tried to abort and eventually lost when she was 14.

“Getting pregnant was a result of bad choices, not having boundaries, sexual abuse from the time I was 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13,” said Oprah.

Oprah then revealed to Piers the shame she felt after learning of the pregnancy and the suicidal thoughts that came. She even tried to drink laundry detergent in attempt to abort the baby herself.

And when a pregnant Oprah went to live with her father, things only got worse when he told her, “I would rather see a daughter of mine floating down the Cumberland River than to bring shame on this family and the indecency of an illegitimate child.”

She then “hid the pregnancy until her swollen ankles and belly gave her away.” A few weeks later, the baby died in the hospital.

Another shocking revelation was that Oprah said she “had no connection..." to the baby and viewed the death as a blessing in disguise. “When the baby died, I knew that it was my second chance.”

Oprah's Secret: Oprah Winfrey spilled the beans on her big secret today on her show ... she has a long lost sister!

Turns out The Big O has a half-sister named Patricia -- who was put up for adoption at a young age and bounced around foster homes until she was finally adopted at the age of 7. Oprah said her mother never told her about Patricia.

Oprah, Patricia and her mother were all reunited on the show.
Source: http://www.tmz.com/2011/01/24/oprah-winfrey-show-secret-sister-adoption-foster-home-mother/

Mary Harvey, the ex-wife of Steve Harvey, is taking shots at the King of Comedy, claiming that he was unfaithful, left her for his new wife and left her without a home after the divorce.

Through a series of YouTube videos, Mary is airing all of the dirty laundry involving her defunct marriage, giving damaging details about Steve’s cheating ways and his speedy retreat to his new wife, Marjorie Harvey.

“Once he realized I was going to divorce him, he walked out the door … went right to New York, to our apartment that we had there, which I never got to see by the way, and then she joined him there,” explains Mary.

Besides the infidelity, Mary also asserts that Steve attempted to turn their 12-year-old son, Wynton, against her.

Adding insult to injury, Mary claims that Steve also masterminded her eviction and left her financially destitute.

“[He] had me evicted from my house, thrown out,” explains Mary. “All the businesses, all the money, the cars, at a moment when I was down, I was down and devastated, he maneuvered everything, he manipulated the courts, everything against me.”

Apparently, the legal battle between the two is far from done as Mary is claiming that Steve is currently suing her because, as she asserts, he believes that she is the reason that he was denied a show by Oprah Winfrey.
Source: http://rollingout.com/insiderohome/ro-today/12768-steve-harveys-ex-wife-bashes-him-for-cheating-and-leaving-her-homeless.html

Jack LaLanne Death Photo: A family friend who died a few years back used to poke fun at my father's zest for healthy living. Now in his 70s, Dad works out nearly every day, eats pretty well and leads a demonstrably healthier life than his virtually chairbound, blogging son.

The friend, a doctor, loved to ask Dad what he planned to do with his "extra six months" of life?

Jack LaLanne had the answer. Living well has its own daily rewards. No matter how many years you're destined to spend on this planet, you'll be better off staying in shape.

Maybe you'll cheat death a little longer, but staving off frailty and living life vigorously, as LaLanne did, may be the surer return on your lifestyle investment.

He died of complications from pneumonia at his California home Sunday. He was 96. But his agent said he exercised right up until the end.

Long before fitness and healthy eating were fashionable, LaLanne led by example. "The only way you can hurt the body is not use it," he said. "Inactivity is the killer and, remember, it's never too late."
Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/01/24/133176159/jack-lalanne-a-fitting-end-at-96

Michael Copon: It looks like Kim is definitely over Reggie Bush and Miles Austin — for her, New York is all about meeting a new guy! Kourtney says, “Kim is the most boy-crazy girl I’ve ever seen” and I would have to agree! On one of their first nights in New York, Kim drags Kourtney out to a club so she can check out the guys. She ends up seeing Michael Copon, an actor she used to work with — but even though she thinks he’s really cute, she refuses to make the first move. When her friend Carla brings Michael over to Kim, I don’t think she could repeat that she’s single any more times, but Michael isn’t taking the hint and doesn’t ask for her number — so Carla puts his number in Kim’s phone!

When the girls head over to their Dash store, Kanye West makes a guest appearance! Kim is super flirty with Kanye, although she says they’ve just been friends for a while. After they meet up, Kim looks online and sees the dating rumors about the two and gets annoyed. This definitely doesn’t seem like this is the last time we’ll see Kanye on the show.

Meanwhile, Scott and Kourtney are doing great together, for once. So great, in fact, that they decide to move back in together — a decision that makes Kim furious. Kourtney and Kim get in a fight about it at the gym, because Kim thought that New York was going to be her and Kourtney’s ‘alone time’. Kourtney calls Kim a drama queen, and I kind of have to agree with her — it seemed like Kim was just jealous that she was single and Kourtney wasn’t.

To get her mind off of the fight with her sister, Kim ends up calling Michael herself, even though she’s never asked a guy out before or made the first move. You can tell how nervous she is about asking him on a date — I can’t believe that even someone like Kim Kardashian gets nervous about calling a guy! Of course, Michael agrees, and they go on a cute date to Serendipity. Things are going so well that Kim even invites him back up to her hotel room! But when Michael leans in for the kiss, Kim only lets him kiss her cheek.

In the end, Kim actually ends up apologizing to Kourtney and admitting that she was wrong and was acting selfish. Kim, Kourtney and Scott are all getting along — but I’m sure that won’t last! I can’t wait to see all of the drama that’s going to happen this season, and all of the guys Kim is going to meet!
Source: http://www.hollywoodlife.com/2011/01/23/kim-kourtney-take-ny-recap-kardashian-kany-west-michael-copon-kim-date/

Fitness guru Jack LaLanne breathed his last on Jan.23 at his California residence due to respiratory failure caused from pneumonia. He was 96

LaLanne, who is widely referred to as "The Godfather of Fitness," had gained worldwide recognition for his success as a bodybuilder, and for his incredible cum extraordinary acts of strength and endurance.

Born September 26, 1914 in San Francisco LaLanne, admittedly, was addicted to sugar and junk foods during his childhood days. At age of 15, young LaLanne heard Paul Bragg speech on health and nutrition, which had such a powerful influence, and it motivated LaLanne to focus on his diet and exercise habits.

Later, he studied Henry Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body and concentrated on bodybuilding, chiropractic medicine, and weightlifting, something virtually unheard of in the 1930s.

In 1936, LaLanne opened his own health spa in Oakland, California, and dedicated his life to encouraging people to better themselves through exercise and fitness.

LaLanne had presented fitness and exercise advice on television for 34 years through his "The Jack LaLanne Show," which was the longest running television exercise program.

Among his various achievements, LaLanne at the age of 45, in 1959, had completed 1,000 pushups and 1,000 chin-ups in 1 hours and 22 minutes. In 1984 a 70-year-old LaLanne had himself handcuffed and shackled and towed 70 boats with 70 people from the Queen's Way Bridge in the Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary, 1 ½ miles.

Even in his 90s, LaLanne exercised two hours daily, consisting of 90 minutes of weightlifting and 30 minutes of swimming.

LaLanne, who is also recognized for his famous juicing machines, had credited his amazing health to his strict nature-made diet and his regular fitness routine.

In fact, his favorite motto is, "If man made it, don't eat it."

In 2009, he received Lifetime Achievement Award from Club Industry.

When asked about the difference between then and now, LaLanne said, "It is most gratifying for me to see that everything that I was preaching and advocating for over 75 years has come to fruition. Then I was a crackpot and a charlatan, today I am an authority... and believe me I can't die, it would ruin my image."
Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/104126/20110124/jack-lalanne-jack-lalanne-show-fitness-fitness-guru-fitness-pioneer-exercise.htm

Lee Kuan Yew: Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew has urged local Muslims to “be less strict on Islamic observances” to aid integration and the city-state’s nation-building process.

Singapore has a predominantly Chinese population, with minority races including Muslim Malays and Indians, and Lee has always stressed the importance of racial harmony.

“I would say today, we can integrate all religions and races except Islam,” he said in “Lee Kuan Yew: Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going,” a new book containing his typically frank views on the city-state and its future.

“I think we were progressing very nicely until the surge of Islam came and if you asked me for my observations, the other communities have easier integration — friends, intermarriages and so on…” he stated.

“I think the Muslims socially do not cause any trouble, but they are distinct and separate,” Lee added, calling on the community to “be less strict on Islamic observances.”

During the book’s launch on Friday, the self-described “pragmatist” warned Singaporeans against complacency, saying the largely ethnic Chinese republic was still a nation in the making.

Describing Singapore in the book as an “80-storey building on marshy land,” Lee said it must contend with hostility from larger Muslim neighbors.

“We’ve got friendly neighbors? Grow up… There is this drive to put us down because we are interlopers,” he said, citing alleged Malaysian and Indonesian efforts to undermine Singapore’s crucial port business.

Singapore was ejected from the Malaysian federation in 1965 in large part due to Kuala Lumpur’s preferential policies for ethnic Malays, and has since built up Southeast Asia’s most modern military to deter foreign aggression.

Turning to local politics, Lee said the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), which has been in power since 1959 when Singapore gained political autonomy from colonial ruler Britain, will someday lose its grip on power.

“There will come a time when eventually the public will say, look, let’s try the other side, either because the PAP has declined in quality or the opposition has put up a team which is equal to the PAP… That day will come.”

“In the next 10 years to 20 years, I don’t think it’ll happen. Beyond that, I cannot tell.”

Lee said that despite a survey showing the contrary, he believed Singaporeans were not yet ready for a non-ethnic-Chinese prime minister.

“A poll says 90 percent of Chinese Singaporeans say they will elect a non-Chinese as PM. Yes, this is the ideal. You believe these polls? Utter rubbish. They say what is politically correct,” he stated.

He also defended the policy of promoting marriage between highly-educated Singaporeans, a policy seen by critics as a form of social engineering, and dismissed the notion of love at first sight.

“People get educated, the bright ones rise, they marry equally well-educated spouses. The result is their children are likely to be smarter than the children of those who are gardeners,” he said.

“It’s a fact of life. You get a good mare, you don’t want a dud stallion to breed with your good mare. You get a poor foal.”

People who are “attracted by physical characteristics” may regret it, he said.

Lee also revealed that he had donated to charity all his earnings of 13 million Singapore dollars ($10 million) since stepping down as prime minister in 1990 after 31 years in power.

Singapore’s cabinet ministers are the highest paid in the world as part of a strategy to prevent corruption and attract talent from the private sector.

Lee, who holds the special title minister mentor, now serves as an adviser to his son Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who came to power in 2004.

Amid all the hard-edged talk, Lee showed his tender side when asked about his late wife Kwa Geok Choo, who died aged 89 in October last year.

“It means more solitude. No one to talk to when the day’s work is done,” Lee said in the book, the result of exclusive interviews with journalists from the country’s leading daily, the Straits Times.
Source: http://hantulautan.blogspot.com/2011/01/singapores-lee-kuan-yew-urges-muslims.html

Bhimsen Joshi: Indian classical music met with a great loss today with the demise of Bharat Ratna Awards winner Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi. We still remember a lot of his songs, but the song that stands out fresh in our memories is “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara” aired by Doordarshan. The song's lead is sung by Pandit Bhimsen and is taken over by other celebrated singers and musicians of India.

Pt. Bhimsen died 8:00 am today at Sahyadri Super Speciality Hospital in Pune. He was admitted to the ICU last week after he complained of suffocation and vomiting. He was suffering from multiple organ failure (urinary infection, respiratory, intestines and kidney problems). Recently, he had undergone a brain tumour surgery (Maningioma) at the same hospital.

(One of the greatest singer of Classical music, Bharat Ratna, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Ji is no more between us today. He was a great singer, but more than that he was the greatest human being. He called me as his daughter. We used to meet each other very often. I am very lucky that I have recorded a bhajan with him. I was very afraid to sing with him, but he consoled and inspired me. World is all about birth and death, but I will never forget him. May his soul rest in peace.)

Shreya Ghoshal one of the celebrated singers in Bollywood, also expressed, “Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi passes away.. May his soul rest in peace. His voice echoes..”

Actor Anupam Kher mourned to the loss by tweeting,"Bhimsen Joshi mesmerized the world for decades with his Voice. Now it is time for Gods to be mesmerzed. Will miss him. RIP."

Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar said that it is an irreparable loss, “Loss of Bharat Ratan Sh. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi ji.. So Saddening. An irreparable loss for our nation.. R.I.P.”

Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh also expressed the loss to Indian Classical Music and Cultural Heritage by tweeting, “Bharat Ratna in true sense - the greatest Indian classical singer Bhimsen Joshi. Its a big loss to the Indian Classical & Cultural heritage. R.I.P Shri Bhimsen Joshi”

Actor Abhishek Bachchan posted on his micro-blogging site, “very sad to hear the news of the passing of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. RIP”

We at Oneindia pay tribute to the legendary singer. May his soul rest in peace.
Source: http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/news/2011/lata-mangeshkar-pays-tribute-bhimsen-joshi-240111-aid0097.html